Insider: “The Great One” In Indianapolis

Via ECHL Allstar Classic -

Gretzky’s tenure in Indianapolis was very a small blip on the radar screen of his illustrious career. He arrived as a 17-year-old with much hype. He left just 53 days after training camp began, sold to the Edmonton Oilers for very little. Within weeks, the Racers would also become a part of hockey history. At the time, the WHA was in its final season and was trying to hang on against the older, more established National Hockey League. The older league refused to draft sign players under the age of 20, and the WHA, looking for an edge, began doing so. The league began signing a number of teenagers who jump-started their pro careers in the rebel circuit – and eventually, the NHL lowered its draft age to 18. The Racers were one of seven teams competing in the WHA in 1978-79, and while they didn’t sign too many underagers, other teams – most notably the Birmingham Bulls – did.

The Indy Fuel home rink will be hosting the ECHL 2018 Allstar game on January 15, 2018. For more information about tickets for this event (HERE) or advance tickets for the Indy Fuel regular season, (Here).
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Indiana toy store calling it quits after nearly eight decades

From The Indianapolis Business Journal -

Richmond's only family-owned toy store is set to go out of business this summer, ending the 79-year run of the downtown retail fixture. Citing declining sales and revenue, Veach's Toy Station announced Monday that it plans to close in August. Veach's has been at 715 E. Main St. since 1949 and has operated in the downtown Richmond area since opening in August 1938. The business is in its third generation of family ownership, under Shari Veach and her husband John Veach, whose grandparents started the store.

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Indiana Police Want Drones but Laws Restrict Their Usage

Via U.S. News and World Report -

Indiana's two largest police departments want drones to help monitor large gatherings or monitor traffic at large events, but state law restricts drone usage. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and Indiana State Police are both looking into acquiring drones, The Indianapolis Star reported (http://indy.st/2qPpogN ). At least 10 Indiana police agencies own drones. Indiana law specifies that police departments are allowed to use drones for search-and-rescue efforts, to record crash scenes and to help in emergencies, but otherwise a warrant is required in order to use a drone. That means police likely won't be able to fly them near large gatherings unless a terrorist attack or crime is feared.

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12 Things You Must Do Underneath The Summer Sun In Indiana

From OnlyInYourState.com

Summer fun is just around the corner in Indiana, and if you’re looking for an awesome list of summer activities to try out, you’ve come to the right place. Check out these 12 incredible activities you must try underneath the summer sun.

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When a Jet-Powered Car Raced in the Indianapolis 500

From the Smithonian.com

The small Pratt & Whitney turbine power plant might have otherwise found itself in a helicopter or a corporate jet. Instead it sat side by side with driver Parnelli Jones. It produced more than 550 horsepower delivered through an innovative all-wheel-drive system. “People forget how well it handled,” Jones says now, but what people talked about and fought over was the smooth, linear power it made. Indianapolis Motor Speedway historian Donald Davidson remembers standing on the veranda of the old Pagoda (the multitiered front-stretch scoring stand) watching the first lap. “Jones was so far in front,” Davidson recalls, “just a huge lead, and the car was painted Day-Glo red or fluorescent orange or whatever you want to call it. That paint! It actually hurt the eyeballs to look at it. As Parnelli came by, you heard the whoosh and he lifted his right hand off the steering wheel and did a finger and thumb OK sign. Just a finger and thumb up in the air, probably to say ‘Hey it’s beautiful.’”

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Briggs: Indianapolis has a millennial problem that luxury apartments can't solve

From the Indystar -

Indianapolis' population last year grew by an estimated 2,869 residents to 855,164, as the city fell from the 14th-largest in the U.S. to No. 15. The city's recent population growth has slowed to an average of 3,200 residents per year over the past two years, down from 6,775 between 2010 and 2014. Meanwhile, 13 of the 15 fastest-growing cities in Indiana last year were suburbs of Indianapolis. Among cities with at least 5,000 residents, Whitestown led the state with a growth rate of 9.2 percent, followed by McCordsville at 7.2 percent, Bargersville at 4.2 percent, Westfield at 3.6 percent and Carmel at 3.4 percent.

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Infosys is getting a whole lot of perks for putting America first

From Quartz India -

Infosys is spending $8.7 million on its Indiana venture, which includes a new 35,000-square-foot office. The company intends to add 100 employees this year and 400 next year. On paper, the plan seems like a blessing for American jobs. However, finding the right employees in a region grappling with a talent crunch can seem like scavenging. Anticipating this problem, Infosys is working on “shrinking the IT skills gap,” CEO Vishal Sikka said. Through the Infosys Foundation, it has trained 2,500 teachers and more than 135,000 students and is also funding the training of over 1,000 public school teachers in computer science this summer.

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Carrier plant that Trump saved will lay off hundreds right before Christmas: report

From The Hill

The Indianapolis furnace plant pledged to stay in the United States late last year after making a deal with President Trump, but announced today that it will lay off more than 600 workers, the final 290 of which will be fired just before the holiday season. The move isn't a complete surprise for the company. In their initial announcement last year, the company revealed that while the plant would remain in the U.S., the factory would be cutting down on labor to reduce costs.

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Indianapolis Motor Speedway pays tribute to Hayden

From Motorsport.com

Hayden died May 22 from injuries suffered when struck by a car while cycling May 17 in Rimini, Italy. “Everyone at IMS mourns the loss of our friend Nicky Hayden,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles said. “When you met Nicky, you immediately felt you had known him for years. “His humility and sincerity always made genuine connections with everyone, as he truly was one of the nicest guys you could ever meet in racing. Nicky was a tireless ambassador for MotoGP at the Speedway and a passionate supporter of all events at IMS.”

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IndyCar driver Scott Dixon, retired racer Dario Franchitti robbed at Taco Bell

Via USA Today

Verizon IndyCar Series Scott Dixon and retired racer Dario Franchitti were robbed at gunpoint in a Taco Bell drive-thru Sunday night, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police reported. No one was injured in the encounter. According to the police report, the robbery occurred around 10 p.m. ET, just hours after Dixon won the pole for the Indianapolis 500. The Taco Bell is located less than a mile away from Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

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